Spring cushion construction



May 29, 1962 R. G. HEYL, JR., ETAL 3,036,827

SPRING CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed July 25, 195'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS` Passez] 6': Hey/ffl? May 29, 1962 R. G. HEYL., JR., ET AL 3,036,827

SPRING CUSHION CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1957 l 'Pipa E INVENTORS. He

May 29, 1962 R. G. HEYL, JR., ET AL 3,036,827

SPRING CUSHION CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 25, 1957 J "gula O .z Tv E Z .1 W d QN SPRING CUSHION CONSTRUCTON Russell G. Heyl, Jr., and Richard J. Williams, Birmingham, Mich., assignors to American Metal Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed July Z5, 1957, Ser. No., 674,251 9 Claims. (Cl. 267-90) This invention relates to spring constructions, and particularly to a spring cushion construction which provides a desired resilient support with a minimum amount of wire.

Lengths of sinuous types of springs have been employed heretofore for the construction of seat cushions, secured in a manner to produce a desired contour and resiliency at the forward and rearward edges of the strip-s. Such strips could have been of a uniform type in which bracing rods and Various configurations were employed to permit the spring to contour in a desired manner when loaded. A variable -form of loop was employed throughout the length of the strip to control the contour by the use :of different sized loops at points in the spring length. When a central support was required, an additional amount of the sinuous strip was utilized, formed in a single or double arc or with V- shaped ends ldisposed in contact with the central portion of the load bea-ring section of the spring strips.

The present invention embodies the use of laterally disposed lengths of wire having projecting arms at the sides which are secured in cantilever to the frame in such manner as to resist deflection toward the frame. One or more of these spring elements are mounted on the frame with the transverse portion of the element engaging or spaced from the central portion of a load bearing section of the main spring strip. The pressure applied upon the load bearing section of the strip causes the strip to deflect and engage the laterally extending portion of the subspring element or elements, tot thereby provide additional support for the load. This construction is especially advantageous for seat back cushions where pressure is desired midway between the top and bottom of the spring surface.

The spring strips of this design are not limited to use beneath the load bearing section of the primary spring strips since the spring elements themselves can be employed to form the primary load bearing area of the cushion. The straight central portion of the spring elements extends laterally across the cushion, with end portions extending at right angles along the sides and downwardly, and further shaped to form securing portions at the spring ends. A plurality of the spring elements are assembled with the ends secured to` the sides of the frame against pivotal movement and with the side portions spaced apart but aligned to function as border elements along the side edges of the plurality of spring elements. The arm portions extend downwardly at an angle from the lside portions for supporting the transverse load bearing section in cantilever to deilect about the ends secured to the frame. Upon such an assembly of spring elements, an insulator is employed which spans the spaced load bearing wires to eliminate the direct pressure thereof from the occupant. The insulator is of old and wellknown construction, bein-g preferably made fro-m a piece of jute, burlap or like sheet material, having lengths of spring wires laced therethrough. The wires span the laterally disposed portions of the spring elements and form a seating surface which distributes the pressure of the spring elements evenly over the load bearing area of the cushion.

The downwardly disposed side portions of the spring elements may have a loop formed to provide a controlled resiliency to the resulting spring arms. The downwardly 3,035,827 Patented May 29, 1962 extending arm may be formed to have a portion angularly disposed so that the initial deflection will permit the portion to move downwardly and engage the frame for pivotal movement when resting against a resilient element, such as a spring or rubber block. 4In a further arrangement of the invention, additional laterally disposed spring elements may be employed made of heavy gauge wire which are engaged after a predetermined deflection occurs to the main spring elements which are made of lighter gauge wire.

When the spring elements are employed of the yfull width of the vehicle on a seat back, with the straight wire portions extending entirely t-hereacross, a plurality ,of similar wire elements are employed therewith. The wire elements have V-shaped end portions to provide resiliency to have the wire elements reinforce the primary spring elements at intervals across the back frame. Hog rings are employed for securing the crossed wire por-tions of the elements, the resulting load bearing area providing like support across the entire lateral area of the strip.

While it was indicated heretofore that the laterally extending load bearing sections of the spring elements were straight lengths of wire, it is to be understood that these may be shaped into sinuous form with open extended loops. Such `loops may have resilient material such as rubber or a rubberlike substance molded thereover so that the resulting spring strips may be employed to directly form a back or seat cushion. The spring elements of the present invention have sloping arms which support the transverse wire portions for arcuate movement in cantilever relation to the frame. Over the top of the spaced transverse wire -sections an insulator is provided to distribute the pressure of the load evenly over the entire seating area. Over the insulator a cotton or rubber pad is placed and the entire assembly is covered with upholstery material.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a reinforcing spring element for a seating area of a spring assembly for reinforcing the central portion thereof; to form a load bearing area of a seat cushion from a plurality of laterally extending wire sections of a spring element having downwardly directed arms and end sections which secure the arms to a frame in cantilever relation thereto; to interconnect a plurality of laterally disposed wire sections of spring elements having sloping arms rigidly secured to a frame, with a wire section of a spring disposed at substantially right angles thereto, with the points of crossing interconnected; to provide a plurality of spring elements having a laterally disposed load bearing wire section with sloping arms at the side which are of greater length than others, and others of which are of greater diameter than others so as to provide additional support to the load bearing area only after the area has deflected a predetermined amount; to provide a sinuous form to the laterally disposed load bearing wire sections of spring elements which have rubber or similar resilient material molded thereabout in such manner as to prevent the material from turning on the wire due to the sinuous form thereof, and, in general, to provide a spring element which is simple in construction, one which is easily assembled and which is economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a back cushion spring assembly employing spring elements therein which embody features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. l, taken on the line 3 3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 4-4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cushion spring construction, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, showing a further form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, taken on the line 7-7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 7, taken on the line 8-8 thereof;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged broken View of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of the structure illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 1l is a broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 5, showing a further form of the invention;

FIG. l2 is a side view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a View of structure similarly illustrated in FIG. 10, showing a further form of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a view of structure similarly illustrated in FIG. 13, showing a still further form which the invention may assume;

FIG. 15 is a View of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 6, showing still another form of the invention;

FIG. 16 is a View of structure similarly illustrated in FIG. 1l, showing another form of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a view of structure similarly illustrated in FIG. 16, showing still another form of the invention, and

FIG. 18 is a reduced side view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 17.

Referring to FIGS. l to 4, a back cushion is illustrated embodying a frame 2t) having a top element 21, a bottom element 22 and side elements 23 and 24. A plurality of formed wire spring strips 25 are mounted on the frame. The springs may be of any type, those having uniform loops 26 or variable width of loops, as illustrated, described and claimed in the patent to H. C. Flint, et al., No. 2,684,844, issued July 27, 1954, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The ends of the load bearing area 2'/ of the spring strips 25 have downwardly extending spring supporting portions 2S and 29 terminating in ends 31 which are lixedly secured to the frame in some suitable manner well known in the art. The resulting spring surface provided by the load bearing areas 27 of the spring strips 25 requires support interjacent the ends of the load bearing area additionally to that supplied by the spring strips.

For this purpose, secondary springs 32 and 33 are employed, the spring 32 having a load bearing straight section of wire 34 and downwardly sloping supporting arms 35 at each side. Both of the arms at the end have inwardly extending portions 36 and right angle offset portions 37, the latter of which extend through apertures in the lower transverse frame element 22. This retains the arms 35 and the load bearing section 34 from pivoting toward the frame, and a hook 38 at the left-hand side of the cushion retains the arm 35 at that side from moving away from the frame. At the opposite side of the frame a stamping 39 has a laterally extending portion 41 containing a slot 42 through which the arm 35 at the righthand side of the spring extends, employed to prevent the arm from moving away from the frame. As viewed in the figure, the laterally extending load bearing straight portion 34 is spaced from the load bearing area 27 of the spring strips 25.

When more support is desired, then the second spring 33, similar to the spring 32, is added, having the laterally extending portion 34 and downwardly extending arms 43 which are provided with two offset portions 44 and 45 which secure the ends of the arms t3 to the side elements 23 and 24 of the frame. It is to be understood that while the arms 43 and 35 are substantially parallel, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the arms 43 of the spring 33 may be reversed to extend toward the top of the frame, as illustrated in dot and dash line in the figure.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, a further form of the invention is illustrated, that wherein a seating frame 50 of conventional `form has a plurality of the spring elements 51 ywhich are similar to the springs 32 but which are ernployed as the primary spring elements for the cushion. Each spring element 51 has a straight load bearing section 52, downwardly extending arrn portions '53, and a laterally disposed U-shaped end loop 54 which secure the arm portions rigidly to the frame 50. It will be noted that the primary seat supporting springs 51 have the load *bearing sections 52 thereof extending laterally across the frame 50 and secured to the side members 55 thereof. These members are of channel section having lancedout portions 56 which receive the loops 54 and rigidly secure the loops to the frame. Two lanced slots 57 cut through the web of the channel frame, leaving a strip of metal therebetween which is forced outwardly in spaced relation to the web to receive the loop when inserted therebetween. The loops rest upon the top of the web and the metal 56 extending thereover is struck downwardly at 58 to lock the loop to the frame.

In FIG. 6 it will be noted that the arm 59 of the bottommost spring 51 has the greatest length and has an offset portion 61 at the top and an oiset portion 62 at the bottom, the latter resting against the frame along with the loop 54. The next adjacent spring 51 has a downwardly extending arm 63 slightly shorter than the arm 59 of the lowermost spring and has the laterally extending portions 61 and 62 in the plane of the load bearing section and the frame, respectively. The arm 63 has a loop 64 therein to provide additional resiliency to the arm when the cushion is deflected. The arm 65 of the central spring 51 is similar to the arm 59 of the 'bottom spring, having the oiset portions 61 and 62 in the plane of the load bearing section and the frame, respectively. The arm is provided with an additional U- shaped loop 66, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and l0, to provide further resiliency to the arm and prevent localized Ibending which might break the wire.

The arm 67 next to the top spring element 51 is shorter than the other arm just mentioned, the arm having the laterally extending portions 61 and 62 in the plane of the seating area and the frame, respectively. The uppermost spring 51 has its arm 68 sloping in the opposite direction from the arms of the other springs to be in crossed relation to the arms 67 of the adjacent spring. The uppermost spring has a smaller portion 61 and 62 in the plane of the top of the cushion and the frame, respectively. This topmost spring 51 denes the top portion of the cushion, while the bottommost spring 51 defines the bottom edge of the cushion. The straight portions 61 act as a side border wire to provide side support, and these may be of substantially greater length than that herein illustrated, or a larger number of springs could be employed with the portions 61 of the same or greater length to be substantially continuous along the sides of the frame.

Over the wires 52 an insulator 71 is placed, the insulator having a paper or cloth body 72, with a plurality of lengths of hardened wires 73 laced therethrough so as to y'be retained in predetermined spaced relation to each other. The insulator resting upon the load bearing sections 52 of the springs 51 distributes the pressure of the spring elements uniformly over the seating area so that the individual wire sections 52 are not felt by the occupant. On top of the insulator the padding material of cotton or foam rubber is placed and over the padding material the trim material is secured. In the case of a back cushion the trim material may be formed as a pocket which extends downwardly from the top of the frame and is secured along the bottom edge thereof.

When the seat and back cushions are for a bucket type of seat, then the short'span of the load bearing straight portions 52 of the springs 51 is sufficiently strong to provide desirable support. However, when the springs are employed to extend across the back or seat cushion for the full width of the car, then additional support is re quired due to the greater length of span of the wire section 52. Additional wire springs 74 are provided as subsprings to the primary spring elements 51, the central wire sections having V-shaped supporting ends 75 and 76 at the top and bottom, respectively, which have U-shaped loops 77 at the ends by which they are rigidly secured to the frame. Hog rings 78 interconnect the load bearing section 52 of the springs 51 to the load bearing sections 79 of the springs 74. The springs 74 may be employed closer together near the center of the cushion so as to provide great support in the weaker central area of the assembly. k

The springs 51 hereinbefore described had the ends terminating in a U-shaped loop 54 for securing the spring rigidly to the frame. In the construction illustrated in FIG. 13 a loop 54 is provided at the ends of the arms 53 of the spring elements 51, the portion 81 adjacent to the loop being similar to the portion 62 but disposed at such an angle to the loop 54 as to be spaced from the top surface of the frame 50. In this relationship, the spring S1 will deflect under a light load until the portion 81 engages the frame, after which a substantially greater force will be required to deflect the spring downwardly.

In FIG. 14 a further form of spring is illustrated, that having an arm 82 provided with an oil-'set portion 83 spaced from a laterally extending end portion 84 which pivots within the opening in a struck-up portion 85 of the frame. A resilient element 86 herein illustrated as a block of rubber extends through an aperture 87 in the frame and is anchored thereto by ears 88 on the block and a stirrup 89 on the frame. The rubber fblock 86 engages the offset portion 83 of the spring and provides resilient support for the arm portions 82 of the spring which is supported for pivotal movement thereagainst.

In FIG. a further form of the invention is illustrated, that wherein the spring elements 51 form the main load bearing area of the spring cushion While springs 91 function as helper springs therefor. The springs 91 are made from heavier gauge wire and have arms 92 of less length than lthe arms 53 of the springs 51 so as to have the laterally 'extending wire sections spaced from the main load bearing area of the spring cushion. In this arrangement a light load will produce only sufficient deflection to have the springs 51 engage the springs 91 which thereafter assist in supporting an additional load to thereby decrease the deeotion of the load bearing area as the lo-ad increases.

In FIG. 1-6 the springs 5"1 are illustrated as having the laterally extending load bearing section 94 of sinuous form provided by the arcuate portions 9S and 96 which are oppositely directed.

In FIGS. 17 and 18 the spring 5 1 has the sinuou`s`ly formed load bearing section 94 embedded in rubber or similar resilient material 97 which is molded thereabout. The plurality of spring elements 5-1 with the material 97 thereon form a resilient surface for a seat back 98, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 18. In this arrangement the padding for the insulator, as Well as the padding and trim materials, may be omitted `and the material 97 may form the padding and trim which may be of any desired color. The arms 53 0f the springs resist the deflection of the springs and material 97 in a manner to produce comfort to the resulting seat cushion.

While reference has been made throughout the speciication primarily to a back cushion and only incidentally is Ia seat cushion mentioned, it is to be understood that the structures herein illustrated may be modied where necessary to provide a seat cushion construction. The structures of FIGS. 1l, 12 and 15, for example, may employ the reinforcing elements 91 to provide additional support to counteract the extra weight which the seat cushion must support over that supported by the back cushion. The additional wire spring 7 4 can be employed in -a seat construction alone or in combination with the springs 91 interspersed with the spring elements 51. Thus the additional spring members add resistance to deection to the initial support provided by the spring -elements 511 when the assembly is employed in a seat cushion. Therefore the invention is not to be considered as being limited to any particular type of cushion `as it is within the purview of invention to employ the spring elements alone and in combination to produce any type of spring cushion whether for furniture or for use in vehicles.

What is claimed is:

1. A cushion comprising a frame and a plurality of primary spring wire elements, each primary spring Wire element having a laterally disposed, substantially straight load bearing section, a substantially straight arm portion disposed normal to each end of the load bearing section, anchor means at the free end of each arm portion, and means rigidly securing said anchor means to the frame, with the load bearing section spaced from and extending across the frame and supported in cantilevercd relation in a manner to resist deflection toward the frame.

2. A cushion as recited in claim 1 wherein said arm portions are disposed in acute angular relation to said frame.

3. A cushion as recited in claim 2 wherein the endmost arm sections slope in opposite directions outwardly to the frame edge.

4. A cushion as recited :in claim 1 wherein load supporting means bridge the spaces between the straight load bearing sections and are supported thereby.

5 A cushion as recited in claim 1 wherein load supporting means Iare provided above said load bearing sections.

6. A cushion as recited in claim 5 wherein said load supporting means has V-shaped end sections secured at opposite ends of the frame, and means for securing said load supporting means to said straight iload bearing sections.

7. A cushion as recited in claim 1 wherein at least some of said arm portions have a coil therein.

8. A cushion as recited in claim 1 wherein said straight portions are of sinuous form in the plane of the cushion, and rubber like blocks supported by the substantially straight portions with the sinuous formed portions embedded therein.

9. A cushion as recited .in claim 1 wherein said straight arm portions have end sections bent at an angle thereto with the bent portions in substantially parallel relation to each other.

References Cited in the iile of thisI patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,142 Westerman Feb. 24, 1891 807,765 Myers Dec. 19, 1905 1,085,232 Young Ian. 27, 1914 2,430,612 Heur Nov. 1l, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,906 Great Britain Mar. 20, 1911 of 1910 232,312 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1925 8,239/32 Australia Oct. 13, 1933 814,509 Germany Sept. 24, 1951 

